JP7445520B2 - gas generator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for a gas device that separates a specific component through adsorption treatment and extracts a gas containing a target component.

As a technology for separating specific gas components from raw material gas, there is a known technology that uses the PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) method, in which the raw material gas is passed through an adsorbent under a specific pressure state and the gas to be separated is adsorbed. It is being The generated gas is used, for example, as a barge gas or drying gas in industrial facilities or facilities in the electronics field that require oxidation prevention, or as a carrier gas to flow into experimental equipment.
Such gas generators use a method of separating gas using a tank filled with an adsorbent. In this case, in order to increase the amount of gas produced, some systems utilize a plurality of tanks and connect the tanks with each other through a manifold (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-286425

By the way, in factories and experimental facilities where gas generators that separate and generate such gases are installed, installation space is limited, so even if a large amount of product gas of a specific component is required, large tanks are required. It is difficult to install. In addition, in order to save space, if a configuration is configured in which multiple small tanks are used to separate raw material gas and generate product gas, it is possible to supply raw material gas to each tank and collect the generated product gas. Since a pipeline is required, there are problems in that the number of parts increases, the piping becomes more complicated, and workability during installation and maintenance may decrease.
Furthermore, when multiple tanks are operated at the same processing timing, the time required to separate and discharge the product gas, and to release the exhaust gas due to differences in the length of the flow path from the source gas supply section to the gas recovery means, etc. may vary from tank to tank. As a result, the gas generator cannot move on to the next process until all tanks have been processed, which may result in delays in product gas generation and instability in the gas supply amount. There is a problem that there is.
Therefore, the inventor of the present invention has devised a method for stably producing product gas by making the processing and tank conditions equal or close to equal between tanks that produce product gas at the same processing timing. We obtained knowledge that it is possible to realize gas supply and downsize the gas generator.

Patent Document 1 does not disclose or suggest such a problem, and the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot solve this problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to uniformly perform gas generation processing among a plurality of tanks connected in parallel, thereby increasing the amount of gas generation and stabilizing the gas generation process.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the gas generator of the present invention includes a raw material gas supply pipe line that takes in the raw material gas, and a plurality of adsorption tanks that generate product gas from the raw material gas at the same processing timing. , the product tank for storing the product gas and the plurality of adsorption tanks are connected in parallel, and the raw material gas is supplied to the adsorption tank and the exhaust gas in the adsorption tank is discharged through at least a common flow path. a communication section including a first communication tube used for a connecting portion having an orifice smaller in diameter than the above, an exhaust pipe line through which exhaust gas generated in the adsorption tank flows to the exhaust side, a first pipe line whose one end is connected to the first communication pipe; The raw material gas supply pipe is connected to the first pipe and the exhaust pipe, and according to a switching instruction, the flow is caused to flow from the first pipe to either the raw material gas supply pipe or the exhaust pipe. A flow path switching means for switching the paths, and the switching instruction is outputted to the flow path switching means to cause the feed gas to be taken in at the timing of the product gas adsorption step, and to perform the exhaust step from the adsorption tank. a control unit that guides exhaust gas in the adsorption tank to the exhaust pipe line through the first communication pipe and the first pipe line at a timing , the plurality of adsorption tanks connected to the communication part and the product; Tanks are placed in a row.

In the above gas generator, the communication section includes a second communication pipe that is connected to one end of the adsorption tank and that collects the generated product gas and flows it to the product tank, and one end is connected to the second communication pipe . a second pipe line whose other end is connected to the product gas supply pipe line; and a regulating means installed in the second pipe line and regulating the inflow of product gas from the adsorption tank to the product tank. The control unit outputs an opening/closing instruction to the regulating means at the execution timing of a step of extracting product gas from the adsorption tank .
In the gas generator, a first adsorption unit including the adsorption tank and the product tank arranged in a row, and a first adsorption unit having the same configuration as the first adsorption unit and adjacent to the first adsorption unit. and a second adsorption unit disposed at the same time, and the control section may cause the first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit to perform product gas generation processing at different timings.
In the gas generator, the product gas communication section connects the product tank of the adjacent first adsorption unit and the product tank of the second adsorption unit in parallel, and is connected to the product gas communication section; The product gas pipe may be provided with a product gas pipe line through which the product gas recovered from the product tank flows to the discharge side.
The gas generator further includes a pedestal portion formed with a mounting surface on which the adsorption tank and the product tank are placed, and the adsorption tank and the product tank are arranged in a matrix on the mounting surface. It's fine.

According to the present invention, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By connecting multiple adsorption tanks to the communication part through small-diameter connections, it is possible to equalize the timing of air supply and exhaust processing between the tanks.
(2) By equalizing the processing timing between tanks in a common adsorption unit, the product gas supply process can be stabilized.
(3) By connecting multiple tanks in parallel at the communication section, it is possible to reduce costs by reducing the number of parts and improve workability in assembly and maintenance.
(4) The gas generator can be made smaller and save space.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer by referring to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of a gas generator according to an embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of piping composition on the front side of a gas generator. It is a figure showing an example of composition on the product gas recovery side. It is a figure which shows the example of the state which supplies raw material air to a tank. It is a figure which shows the example of the state which discharges exhaust gas from a tank. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a recovery state of product gas. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a gas adsorption section. It is a figure showing an example of composition on the product gas storage part side. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a control part. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of a gas generation device. It is a figure showing an example of functional composition of a gas generation part.

[One embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a gas generator 2 according to an embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
This gas generator 2 is a PSA system that sets the inside of a tank filled with an adsorbent to a predetermined pressure state, and uses the adsorbent filled in this tank to separate and take out the target product gas SG from the raw material air Air. Equipped with a type gas separation function. The gas generator 2 not only flows the separated product gas SG to a gas supply destination (not shown), but also discharges unnecessary gas as exhaust gas EG. The raw material air Air is, for example, air in the atmosphere. The product gas SG is, for example, nitrogen or hydrogen, and gas components required by the gas supply destination are separated from the raw material air Air.
As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the gas generator 2 includes a pedestal 4 at a predetermined height on the lower side, and a plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 and product tanks 8-2 are placed on the top surface of the pedestal 4. It is placed on the placement surface 6.

This gas generator 2 includes, for example, a gas adsorption section 10 consisting of an adsorption tank 8-1 on the front side of a plurality of tanks 8, and a product gas storage section consisting of a product tank 8-2 on the rear side. 12. In addition, the gas generator 2 includes, for example, a gas supply/exhaust section 14 including a pipe for flowing raw material gas and exhaust gas EG on the lower front side than the tank 8, and a pipe for flowing product gas SG on the upper front side. A product gas flow section 15 including a passage is provided.

<About tank 8>
The adsorption tank 8-1 is a means for separating a target gas component from the raw material air by adsorbing a predetermined gas, and is filled with an adsorbent. This adsorbent is made of, for example, a carbon material or zeolite that has molecular sieving performance, and is formed in the form of particles or a film, and it can be used for specific purposes by bringing the raw air Air into contact with it or passing it through it. Adsorbs gas components. In the gas generator 2, as a PSA type gas separation process, an adsorbent is selected according to the gas component to be adsorbed to the component contained in the raw material gas, and the pressure state in the adsorption tank 8-1 is set. Ru. For this adsorbent, for example, when the raw material gas is air and nitrogen gas (N) is taken out as the product gas SG, a material capable of adsorbing oxygen (O2) is used.
Further, the adsorption tank 8-1 discharges the adsorbed gas as unnecessary exhaust gas EG from the tank at the timing of exhaust processing.
The product tank 8-2 stores the product gas SG separated in the adsorption tank 8-1, and discharges it from the gas generator 2 to the gas demand side at all times or at a predetermined request timing.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the gas generator 2 has a total of 16 tanks 8 arranged, 4 tanks in each direction and 4 in each direction. They are arranged in a matrix at intervals. In this gas generator 2, for example, adsorption tanks 8-1 are arranged in three columns in the vertical direction on the front side and four rows in the transverse direction to form the gas adsorption section 10, and one column in the transverse direction on the rear side is the product tank 8-1. -2 and forms a product gas storage section 12. This gas generator 2 divides adsorption tanks 8-1 and product tanks 8-2 into a predetermined number of tanks, and performs gas generation processing by combining them.

The adsorption tank 8-1 and the product tank 8-2 are, for example, formed with the same shape and the same dimensions, and are cylindrical with an opening directed in the vertical direction, and a lid 16 is installed in each of the openings. ing. The adsorption tank 8-1 and the product tank 8-2 are made of a metal material such as aluminum (Al). Support shafts 18 are inserted through the upper and lower lids 16 at positions near the four corners, for example, and fixing members 20 such as nuts are tightened onto threads formed at the ends of the support shafts 18. As a result, it comes into close contact with the opening.
Note that the shapes and dimensions of the adsorption tank 8-1 and the product tank 8-2 may be set depending on the amount of gas supplied to the gas generator 2, etc.

The gas generator 2 includes, for example, a gas supply/exhaust section 14, which includes an air supply pipe 22 that takes in raw material air near the center of the front side, and a product gas discharge line that discharges the generated product gas SG to the gas supply side. A tube 24 is provided. The air supply pipe 22 is connected to, for example, a compressor (not shown), a tank in which air is stored, and an exhaust pipe of other equipment installed in the plant facility, as a supply source of raw air Air. The gas adsorption unit 10 performs gas generation processing using the raw material air Air supplied from the air supply pipe line 22.
The product gas discharge pipe 24 is connected to, for example, a pipeline of manufacturing equipment or plant equipment (not shown), and allows the product gas SG led from the product gas storage section 12 through the product gas flow section 15 to flow to the gas demand side.

On the ceiling side of the gas generator 2, the divided adsorption tank 8-1 is communicated with a vent that allows gas to pass from inside the tank, at or near the center of the lid 16 of the adsorption tank 8-1. In addition to the communication pipe 26, the product gas recovery pipe 28 connected to the communication pipe 26, and the communication pipe 30 to which the product tanks 8-2 of the product gas storage section 12 are connected, the product gas connected to the communication pipe 30 A tube 32 is provided.

<About the front side configuration of the gas generator 2>
FIG. 2 shows an example of the piping configuration on the front side of the gas generator 2. As shown in FIG.
In this gas generator 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, three adsorption tanks 8-1 arranged in a row in the front-rear direction and one product tank 8-2 at the rear are combined to form an adsorption unit 34A. , 34B, 34C, and 34D. These adsorption units 34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D are operational units for the production process of product gas SG, and each unit independently produces product gas SG. In the gas generator 2, for example, the adsorption units 34A and 34C are the first adsorption units of the present disclosure, the adsorption units 34B and 34D are the second adsorption units of the present disclosure, and adjacent adsorption units perform adsorption processing at different timings. Control as follows.
Furthermore, in the control process of the gas generator 2, the adjoining adsorption unit 34A and adsorption unit 34B are combined as a gas generation section I, and the adsorption unit 34C and adsorption unit 34D are combined as a gas generation section II, and either one of these gas generation sections is combined. Or both can be operated simultaneously or in combination at a predetermined timing.
By performing gas generation processing for each adsorption unit that is a combination of a plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 in this manner, the production capacity of product gas SG can be increased without using a large tank.

The gas supply/exhaust section 14 includes, for example, ventilation channels 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D that take in raw air Air from the air supply pipe 22 for each of the adsorption units 34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D. The air supply pipe line 22 functions as a manifold because it branches the raw material air flowing therein in parallel to the plurality of connected ventilation flow paths 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D.
The ventilation channels 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D are connected to a channel 38 provided for each adsorption unit 34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D. This channel 38 has one end disposed inside the pedestal 4, and guides the raw material air Air supplied through the ventilation channels 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D to the bottom side of the adsorption tank 8-1.
The gas generator 2 also includes an exhaust pipe 40. This exhaust pipe line 40 is an example of a pipe line that guides the exhaust gas EG separated in the adsorption tank 8-1 to an exhaust section (not shown). One end of the exhaust pipe line 40 is connected to the flow path 38 via a branch pipe 42, and the other end is arranged in a discharge section formed inside the pedestal 4.
This branch pipe 42 is an example of means for connecting the flow path 38 to the ventilation flow paths 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D and the exhaust pipe line 40. In the gas generator 2, for example, an on-off valve CV1 or an on-off valve CV2 is installed on the ventilation channels 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D, and an on-off valve CV3 or an on-off valve CV4 is installed on the exhaust pipe 40, and the on-off valve CV3 or on-off valve CV4 is installed on the exhaust pipe 40. By setting the opening/closing process through control, the channel 38 is switched to the ventilation channel 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D or the exhaust channel 40. In other words, the branch pipe 42 and the on-off valves CV1 and CV2 are an example of the flow path switching means of the present disclosure that switches the supply path of the raw material air Air or the discharge path of the exhaust gas EG according to control instructions for each process of the gas generator 2. be.

In the product gas flow section 15 of the gas generator 2, a product gas pipe 32 that guides the product gas SG from the product tank 8-2 is arranged and connected to the product gas exhaust pipe 24. The product gas flow section 15 may be provided with measurement means for measuring the flow rate of the product gas SG and the pressure inside the pipes, for example, on the product gas pipe 32, the communication pipe 26, and the product gas recovery pipe 28.
In addition, the gas generator 2 includes a control device 44 that controls the production process of the product gas SG, the exhaust process of the exhaust gas EG, and other gas generation processes. This control device 44 is composed of a computer, and includes, for example, a monitor that displays information such as the operating status and process control toward the front side of the gas generator 2, and operation buttons that input control instructions for gas generation processing. A display/operation section 46 is provided.
In addition, the gas generator 2 includes a connection instruction section 50 (as a means for fixing the plurality of tanks 8 constituting the gas adsorption section 10 and the product gas storage section 12), which indicates the lids 16 of the tanks that are horizontally adjacent to each other. FIG. 3) may also be provided. The connection instruction section 50 may be made of, for example, a rigid metal material and fixed firmly, or may be made of a flexible resin material or the like so as to be able to absorb vibrations from the outside.

<Example of configuration on the recovery side of product gas SG>
In the gas adsorption unit 10, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, a plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 are connected to the communication pipe 26 via a connection pipe 48 for each adsorption unit 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D, and the separation The resulting product gas SG is collected into the communication pipe 26. The connecting pipe 48 is an example of a recovery means for the product gas SG connected to, for example, a vent in the lid 16 of each adsorption tank 8-1, and is formed to have a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the communicating pipe 26. The product gas SG recovered in the communication pipe 26 is guided to the product tank 8-2 through the product gas recovery pipe 28 due to the internal pressure of the adsorption tank 8-1.
Further, in the product gas storage section 12, the product gas SG is collected into the communication pipe 30 to which the product tanks 8-2 of the adsorption units 34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D are connected, and is flowed to the product gas pipe 32 side.

<About the bottom side of the gas adsorption section 10>
4 and 5 show an example of the configuration of the gas adsorption section and the gas pipe side.
As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the pedestal 4 has a pipe storage section 52 in which pipes are arranged, and a part of the pedestal 4 has a plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 for each of the adsorption units 34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D. A communication pipe 54 is installed to connect the two in parallel. One end of this communication pipe 54 is connected to the flow path 38 arranged inside the pedestal 4, and the other end is connected to the adsorption tank 8-1 via a connecting pipe 56 with a predetermined interval. . That is, the plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 are connected in parallel to the flow path 38 by the communication pipe 54.
The connecting pipe 56 is connected, for example, to a vent in the lid 16 of each adsorption tank 8-1, and forms a small-diameter flow path between the adsorption tank 8-1 and the communication pipe 54.

In the gas generator 2, in the process of inflowing raw air Air into the adsorption tank 8-1, the on-off valve CV1 is opened to connect the ventilation flow path 36A and the flow path 38 via the branch pipe 42, and the exhaust pipe is opened. The on-off valve CV3 on the road 40 side is controlled to be closed. As a result, raw material air Air flows into the communication pipe 54 under pressure applied at the supply source, for example, and is filled with the communication pipe 54 . Then, the raw material air Air in the communication pipe 54 flows into the adsorption tank 8-1 through the connection pipe 56 at the same time or at a timing close to the same. In other words, the communication pipe 54 functions as a manifold for the plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 connected in parallel.

Furthermore, in the gas generator 2, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, in the exhaust process from the adsorption tank 8-1, the on-off valve CV1 on the side of the ventilation flow path 36A is closed, and the on-off valve CV1 on the side of the exhaust pipe 40 is opened/closed. By opening the valve CV3, the flow path 38 and the exhaust pipe line 40 are connected via the branch pipe 42. As a result, the communication pipe 54 is connected to the discharge part of the exhaust pipe line 40, which is at atmospheric pressure, for example, so that a negative pressure is created with respect to the adsorption tank 8-1, and residual gas remains in the adsorption tank 8-1. The exhaust gas EG flows in through the connecting pipe 56. Then, the exhaust gas EG that has flowed into the communication pipe 54 flows into the exhaust pipe line 40 side via the flow path 38 and the branch pipe 42, and is flown to the exhaust section side (not shown).

Note that the exhaust section is an example of a functional section that discharges the exhaust gas EG formed inside the pedestal 4 from the gas generator 2, and is a means for reducing exhaust noise by lowering the temperature and flow rate of the exhaust gas EG. etc. may also be provided.

<About the configuration of the upper side of the gas adsorption section 10>
In the gas generator 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the product gas SG separated in the gas adsorption section 10 flows into the communication pipe 26 from the ceiling side of each adsorption tank 8-1 through the connection pipe 48. In the gas generator 2, for example, during adsorption processing, the adsorption tank 8-1 and the communication pipe 26 are brought into a sealed state by closing the on-off valve CV6 (FIG. 2) installed on the product gas recovery pipe 28. maintain it. Then, when the adsorption process is completed and it is time to recover the product gas SG, by opening the on-off valve CV6, the product gas SG is released at the same timing from the plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1 connected in parallel. The gas flows into the communication pipe 26 and flows through the product gas recovery pipe 28 to the product gas storage section 12 side.

<About the internal state of the gas adsorption unit 10>
FIG. 7 shows an example of the internal configuration of the gas adsorption unit 10.
As shown in FIG. 7, for example, the adsorption tank 8-1 of the gas adsorption unit 10 has its bottom side and top side connected to the communication pipes 26 and 54 in parallel.
The communication pipe 54 used for supplying the raw material air Air or discharging the exhaust gas EG is formed, for example, with an inner diameter D1 of the same size as the flow path 38 (not shown), and is added at the source of the raw material air Air. The supply pressure allows the raw material air Air to flow in at a processing flow rate Q0. Since the communication pipe 54 is a dividing means for the raw material air Air flowing in from the flow path 38, there is a slight pressure loss from the connection side with the flow path 38 toward the end side of the communication pipe 54, but the connection The pressure for each adsorption tank 8-1 is approximately the same.

Further, the inner diameter D2 of the connecting pipe 56 that connects the communicating pipe 54 and each adsorption tank 8-1 is smaller than the inner diameter D1 of the communicating pipe 54. Thereby, the connecting pipe 56 becomes an orifice formed in the flow path between the communication pipe 54 and the adsorption tank 8-1 when the raw material air Air flows therethrough. At this time, the flow rate inside the connecting pipe 56 becomes faster than the flow rate inside the communicating pipe 54 and the internal pressure decreases due to, for example, the law of conservation of energy for flow within the pipes.
As a result, in the gas adsorption unit 10, the raw material air Air does not intensively flow into some tanks, and the flow rates Qu1, Qu2, and Qu3 of the raw material air to each adsorption tank 8-1 are adjusted to be approximately equal. .

In the gas generator 2, for example, in order to equalize the flow rates Qu1, Qu2, and Qu3, the inner diameter D1 of the communication pipe 54 and the inner diameter D2 of the connecting pipe 56 should be set according to the flow rate Q0 and supply pressure of the raw material air Air. Bye. The ratio of the inner diameters of the communication pipe 54 and the connecting pipe 56 is based on, for example, the pressure loss and the desired flow rate, and can also be set arbitrarily so that the gas flow state in the pipe or tank becomes laminar or turbulent. good.

In addition, the inner diameter D4 of the communication pipe 26 on the upper side of the adsorption tank 8-1 that collects the product gas SG is, for example, formed to be equal to or larger than the product gas recovery pipe 28. The product gas SG can be discharged at a predetermined flow rate QG due to the internal pressure added to the internal pressure.
The communication pipe 26 is a means for merging the product gas SG flowing in from the plurality of adsorption tanks 8-1, and although there is a small pressure loss due to the difference in distance from tank to discharge side, each adsorption tank 8 connected to the communication pipe 26 The pressure received from -1 is approximately the same.

The inner diameter D3 of the connecting pipe 48 connecting the communicating pipe 26 and each adsorption tank 8-1 is smaller than the inner diameter D4 of the communicating pipe 26. Thereby, the connecting pipe 48 becomes an orifice formed in the flow path between the adsorption tank 8-1 and the communication pipe 26 when the product gas SG is discharged. In this case as well, as described above, due to the law of conservation of energy for the flow in the pipe, the flow velocity in the connecting pipe 48 becomes faster than that in the adsorption tank 8-1, and the internal pressure decreases.
Thereby, in the gas adsorption unit 10, the product gas SG is not concentratedly discharged from some tanks to the communication pipe 26 side, and the flow rates Qe1, Qe2, and Qe3 of the product gas SG are adjusted to be substantially equal.

<About the configuration of the product gas storage section 12 side>
FIG. 8 shows an example of the internal configuration of the product gas storage section 12.
The product tank 8-2 of the product gas storage section 12 has an upper side connected in parallel to the communication pipe 30, as shown in FIG. 8, for example. This communication pipe 30 has an end connected to a product gas pipe 32, and is connected to a product tank 8-2 via a connecting pipe 58 at a predetermined interval. That is, the product tank 8-2 is connected in parallel to the product gas pipe 32 via the communication pipe 30.
The inner diameter of this connecting pipe 58 is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the communicating pipe 30, and when the product gas SG is caused to flow through the connecting pipe 58 as described above, the communicating pipe 30 and the product tank 8-2 are connected to each other. An orifice is formed in the flow path between the two. In the discharge process of the product gas SG, for example, pressure is applied from the gas adsorption unit 10 side, or negative pressure is applied from the product gas SG discharge means (not shown) or the required load side of the product gas SG, so that the product gas SG is discharged from each product tank 8-2. Product gas SG is evenly discharged to the communication pipe 30 side.

<About the control unit 60>
FIG. 9 shows an example of the configuration of the control section.
The control unit 60 is, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) such as a control board or a sequencer that constitutes the control device 44 housed inside the casing of the gas generator 2, and is formed by a computer. Further, the control unit 60 may utilize a PC (Personal Computer) or the like placed outside the housing. The control unit 60 includes, for example, a processor 62, a memory 64, a timer 66, a display unit 68, an I/O (Input/Output) 70, and the like.

The processor 62 is an operating system (OS) that controls the basic operations of the gas generator 2 and a calculation means of a program that controls the operations of the on-off valves CV1, CV2...CV7, etc. in the adsorption/regeneration process and the pressure equalization process. This is an example.
The memory 64 is an example of a storage means, and includes a storage area such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the OS and various programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that allows the processor 62 to execute arithmetic processing of the program. Contains processing areas.
The timer 66 is an example of a means for timing processing times such as an adsorption/regeneration process and a pressure equalization process to generate product gas SG, and can be a hardware timer or a software timer that measures time by executing a program. There may be.
The display section 68 is an example of means for displaying the operating state and settings of the gas generator 2, and constitutes the display/operation section 46 described above.
The I/O 70 is an example of an external interface of the control unit 60, and may include a connector for a signal cable or a transmitting/receiving connector when using wireless communication, and the I/O 70 is an example of an external interface for the control unit 60. It is connected to a measurement unit 72 such as a CV7 or a pressure gauge.

<About the functional configuration and operation control of the gas generator 2>
FIG. 10 shows an example of the overall functional configuration of the gas generator 2, and FIG. 11 shows an example of the functional configuration of the gas generation section I and the gas generation section II. The configurations shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are examples.
In this gas generator 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, raw material air Air is taken in through an air supply pipe line 22. As shown in FIG. The condition inside the air supply pipe line 22 may be monitored by, for example, a pressure gauge PG1, and the result of this monitoring may be notified to the control unit 60 or an instrumentation line (not shown). The control unit 60 may output opening/closing instructions to the on-off valves CV1, CV2, . . . , CV7, etc. based on these monitoring results and the operation control program.
In the gas generation device 2, the operation of the gas generation section I and the gas generation section II is controlled according to operation instructions from the control section 60, for example, and product gas generated by the operation of either or both of these sections is performed. SG is passed through the communication pipe 30 and through the product gas pipe 32 to the discharge side. This product gas pipe 32 may be provided with pressure gauges PG4, PG5, PS2, a flow meter DFM1, etc., as means for monitoring the state of the product gas SG, for example. These monitoring results are notified to the control unit 60 side, displayed on the display unit 68, and are also used as control information for gas generation processing.

As shown in FIG. 11, for example, the gas generation section I and the gas generation section II operate an on-off valve CV1 so that the raw material air Air that has flowed in from the air supply pipe line 22 flows toward the adsorption tank 8-1 that enters the adsorption process. , CV2 are controlled and the ventilation channels 36A and 36C are opened. Further, in the gas generation section I and the gas generation section II, opening/closing processing of the on-off valve CV6 or CV7 is performed in order to flow the generated product gas SG to the product gas storage section 12 side.

The gas generation section I and the gas generation section II control the opening and closing of the on-off valves CV3 and CV4 so as to take in the exhaust gas EG from the adsorption tank 8-1 that has undergone the exhaust process and flow it into the exhaust pipe 40. The exhaust gas EG is then discharged from the exhaust section 74 to the outside of the device or to the side of the exhaust treatment device (not shown) through the exhaust pipe line 40.

<About the gas generation process>
Here, an example of a gas generation process is shown.
In the gas generation section I, the adsorption units 34A and 34B are operated in different steps to continuously generate product gas SG. Similarly, in the gas generation section II, the adsorption units 34C and 34D are operated in combination. Here, process processing in the gas generation section I will be shown.
The three adsorption tanks 8-1 on the adsorption unit 34A side are designated AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C, respectively, and the three adsorption tanks 8-1 on the adsorption unit 34B side are designated AT2-A, AT2-B, and AT2, respectively. -C.

In the adsorption process, an adsorption process on the adsorption unit 34A side and a regeneration process on the adsorption unit 34B side are performed simultaneously. In this regeneration process, for example, open the on-off valve CV4 to release the pressure inside the tank to atmospheric pressure, and at the same time, flow high-purity product gas SG from the tank side of the adsorption process, thereby regenerating the product gas SG separated from the raw material air Air. A part of the adsorbent is separated from the adsorbent and discharged outside the adsorption unit. In the regeneration process, the pressure inside the adsorption tank 8-1 is reduced to reduce the adsorption capacity, thereby removing the gas components of the product gas SG. After that, when the pressure inside the adsorption unit 34A becomes atmospheric pressure, the adsorbent becomes rich in a specific gas component, and at the same time, the area around the adsorbent becomes rich in a specific gas component. Therefore, the adsorbent no longer desorbs the specific gas component. When an appropriate amount of product gas SG flows into the adsorption tank 8-1 through the orifice OR1, the product gas SG is fed around the adsorbent and other exhaust gas EG is expelled. In the adsorbent, there is a difference in the concentration of a specific gas component in the pores where a specific gas component is adsorbed and around it, and due to the diffusion power of this specific gas component, the product gas SG is replaced and desorbed. can be done. This allows the reproduction process to be completed.

Further, at different timings, the regeneration process on the side of the adsorption tanks AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C and the adsorption process on the side of the adsorption tanks AT2-A, AT2-B, and AT2-C are performed simultaneously. Additionally, a pressure equalization step is performed between the adsorption/regeneration steps. The on-off valves CV1 to CV7 and CV5' form a circuit that allows raw material gas to flow into the adsorption units 34A and 34B that performs the adsorption process, and flows manufactured product gas SG to the product gas storage section 12, and also forms a circuit that allows the produced product gas SG to flow to the product gas storage section 12. The suction units 34A and 34B that execute the process are isolated from other suction units 34A and 34B to form an exhaust passage. In the pressure equalization step, a pressure equalization channel may be formed depending on the execution of the adsorption step.

In the gas generation process, as a start process of the adsorption/regeneration process, the number of operating gas generation units is set based on the gas production flow rate and the like based on the gas request. The control unit 60 uses time information from the timer 66 to manage the execution time of the adsorption/regeneration process.

The control unit 60 opens the on-off valve CV1 and closes the other on-off valves CV2, CV3, CV6, and CV7. The on-off valves CV1 and CV6 are opened to allow raw air Air to flow into the adsorption tanks AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C. This increases the pressure in the adsorption tanks AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C, and the adsorbent preferentially adsorbs specific gas components, increasing the concentration (purity) of the product gas SG. The product gas SG is stored in the product tank 8-2 through the open/close valve CV6, which is in an open state, and is supplied as a highly concentrated gas. On the adsorption unit 34B side, the internal pressure decreases due to the opening of the exhaust pipe 40, and the gas components adhering to the adsorbent are separated. When a part of the product gas SG flows from the adsorption tanks AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C into the adsorption tanks AT2-A, AT2-B, and AT2-C through the orifice OR1, the remaining gas components are exhausted. The adsorbent is flowed to the pipe line 40 side, and the adsorbent is regenerated.

When the adsorption/regeneration process is completed, the gas generator 2 starts a pressure equalization process. In this process, for example, the inflow of raw material air is stopped, the remaining amount of gas in the product gas storage section 12 is monitored, and the like. The control unit 60 uses time information from the timer 66 to manage the execution time of the pressure equalization process. The control unit 60, for example, flows the product gas SG remaining in the pressurized adsorption tanks AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C to the adsorption tanks AT2-A, AT2-B, and AT2-C to equalize the pressure. .

In the gas generator 2, when the pressure equalization process is completed, the adsorption process of the raw material gas is performed in the adsorption tanks AT2-A, AT2-B, and AT2-C, and the adsorption process is performed in the adsorption tanks AT1-A, AT1-B, and AT1-C. A regeneration process may be performed to exhaust the separated gas.

<Effects of one embodiment>
According to such a configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) By connecting multiple adsorption tanks to the communication part through small-diameter connections, the flow rate of gas inflow and discharge between the tanks can be equalized.
(2) By equalizing the processing timing of the adsorption tanks 8-1 in the adsorption unit, the supply process of the product gas SG can be stabilized.
(3) By connecting multiple tanks in parallel at the communication part, it is possible to reduce costs by reducing the number of parts and improve workability in assembly and maintenance.
(4) The gas generator 2 can be made smaller and save space.
(5) By using a common communication pipe to supply raw air Air to the adsorption tank 8-1 and to discharge exhaust gas EG, it is possible to save space and reduce the number of parts.
(6) By linking multiple tanks through communication pipes, it is possible to generate gas at a desired flow rate without using large tanks.
(7) By switching the adsorption unit, which is a combination of multiple tanks, through operational control, it is possible to adjust the supply of product gas SG, making it possible to respond to a wide range of large and small gas demands.
(8) By arranging tanks 8 of small capacity and the same shape in a matrix and connecting adjacent tanks to each other, no wasted space is created inside the gas generator 2, and the device can be miniaturized.

(Modified example)

Characteristics and modifications of the embodiment described above are listed below.

(1) In the above embodiment, a case is shown in which a pipe line or a product gas pipe line is connected to one end of the communication pipes 26, 30, and 54 with respect to the gas flow direction, but the present invention is not limited to this.
A pipe line or a product gas pipe line may be connected to the center side of the communication pipes 26, 30, and 54 to which the plurality of tanks 8 are connected. In this case, for example, with respect to the flow direction of the communication pipes 26, 30, and 54 to which the plurality of tanks 8 are connected, the tanks 8 may be divided into the same number or a similar number in the left-right direction and the pipe lines may be connected. As a result, when gas flows between the pipe line and the tank 8 via the communication pipes 26, 30, and 54, the difference in the flow path from the connection position to each tank can be reduced, and the pressure loss with respect to the gas can be reduced. The occurrence can be reduced.

(2) In the above embodiment, the case is shown in which the same amount of raw air Air is introduced into all the adsorption tanks 8-1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The supply amount of the raw material air Air may be varied for each adsorption unit 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D or between the adsorption tanks 8-1. The supply amount of the raw material air Air may be determined, for example, by varying the opening diameter of a connecting pipe installed at the bottom of the tank 8, or by providing a flow rate adjusting means in a part of the communicating pipe 54.
With this configuration, the production flow rate of the product gas SG can be made different between the adsorption units 34A, 34B, 34C, and 34D.

(3) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the gas generation section I and the gas generation section II generate the same amount of gas by providing the adsorption tanks 8-1 with the same capacity, but the present invention is not limited to this. By making the volumes of the adsorption tanks 8-1 that constitute the gas generating sections I and II different, the amounts of gas generated in the gas generating sections I and II may be made different.

As described above, the most preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described. The present invention is not limited to the above description. Various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the detailed description. It goes without saying that such modifications and changes are included within the scope of the present invention.

2 Gas generator 4 Pedestal 6 Placement surface 8 Tank 8-1 Adsorption tank 8-2 Product tank 10 Gas adsorption section 12 Product gas storage section 14 Gas supply/exhaust section 15 Product gas flow section 16 Lid 18 Support shaft 20 Fixing member 22 Air supply pipe 24 Product gas discharge pipe 26, 30, 54 Communication pipe 28 Product gas recovery pipe 32 Product gas pipe 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D Adsorption unit 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D Ventilation flow path 38 Flow path 40 Exhaust pipe Channel 42 Branch pipe 44 Control device 46 Display/operation panel 48, 56, 58 Connection pipe 50 Connection support section 52 Pipe storage section 60 Control section 62 Processor 64 Memory 66 Timer 68 Display section 70 I/O
72 Measuring section 74 Exhaust section

Claims (5)

a raw material gas supply pipe that takes in the raw material gas;
a plurality of adsorption tanks that perform a process of generating product gas from the raw material gas at the same processing timing;
a product tank for storing the product gas;
A plurality of adsorption tanks are connected in parallel and include a first communication pipe that supplies raw material gas to the adsorption tanks through at least a common flow path and uses exhaust gas in the adsorption tanks for discharge. A communication part,
a connecting portion interposed between the communicating portion and the adsorption tank, and having an orifice having a diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the communicating portion in at least a portion of a flow path connecting the communicating portion and the adsorption tank;
an exhaust pipe line through which exhaust gas generated in the adsorption tank flows to the exhaust side;
a first pipe line whose one end is connected to the first communication pipe;
The raw material gas supply pipe, the first pipe, and the exhaust pipe are connected, and according to a switching instruction, the first pipe is connected to either the raw material gas supply pipe or the exhaust pipe. a flow path switching means for switching the flow path;
The switching instruction is outputted to the flow path switching means to cause the feed gas to be taken in at the timing of the product gas adsorption process, and the exhaust gas in the adsorption tank is caused to be taken in at the timing of the exhaust process from the adsorption tank. a control unit that guides the exhaust pipe through the first communication pipe and the first pipe line;
A gas generation device comprising : a plurality of adsorption tanks connected to the communication portion and the product tank arranged in a line. The communication section includes a second communication pipe that is connected to one end of the adsorption tank and that collects the generated product gas and flows it into the product tank,
a second pipe line whose one end is connected to the second communication pipe and whose other end is connected to the product gas supply pipe line;
a regulating means installed in the second pipe line and regulating the inflow of product gas from the adsorption tank to the product tank;
Equipped with
The gas generator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit outputs an opening/closing instruction to the regulating means at the timing of executing the step of extracting product gas from the adsorption tank . a first adsorption unit including the adsorption tank and the product tank arranged in a line;
a second suction unit having the same configuration as the first suction unit and disposed adjacent to the first suction unit;
Equipped with
The gas generation device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control section causes the first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit to execute product gas generation processing at different timings. a product gas communication section that connects the product tank of the adjacent first adsorption unit and the product tank of the second adsorption unit in parallel;
a product gas pipe connected to the product gas communication section and flowing the product gas recovered from the product tank to the discharge side;
The gas generator according to claim 3 , further comprising: Further, it includes a pedestal portion formed with a mounting surface on which the adsorption tank and the product tank are mounted,
5. The gas generator according to claim 1 , wherein the adsorption tank and the product tank are arranged in a matrix on the placement surface.

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